Using Home Drug Tests: Home Drug Test False Positive Results

Using Home Drug Tests: Handling Home Drug Test False Positives

By Dr. Deb Carlin

If you've seen the signs of drug use or symptoms of drug use in your teen and are considering the idea of using home drug tests to solve your problems before they get worse, then you might be worried about wrongfully accusing your teen of drug use because of a false positive result on your home drug test.

It's possible that poppy seeds, cold medications, and even some antibiotics in very high doses can cause false-positive results on certain types of tests. This is by FAR, the exception rather than the rule. However, it is still important that parents don't make the mistake of accusing their teens of drug use when the teen hasn't done anything wrong.

Lab tests and drug tests administered by medical professionals (as opposed to parents) also have false positives. The next step is the same for medical professionals as it is for parents.

All a parent who has used a home drug test needs to do is offer to have a special type of lab test performed for their child. It's called a GCMS confirmation test and it should be performed at a local lab on the sample that was provided by the teen. Most good hair tests include a confirmation test at no extra charge anyway. Guilty teens will usually admit their usage making further confirmation unnecessary.

When GCMS confirmation tests are performed at labs and they verify the results of the home drug test kit or teens come forward and admit their usage, then the problem of parents making false accusations is virtually eliminated.

If you want to know more about using home drug tests or picking out the best home drug test for your teen, or the steps to starting a home drug testing program, additional resources can be found at no charge at places like TestMyTeen.com.

About The Author http://www.testmyteen.com Dr. Deb Carlin works closely with the TestMyTeen.com initiative which offers home drug test kits and home drug testing strategies to prevent signs of drug use in teens. Copyright 2010 TestMyTeen, LLC.